Trifoil cam-and-roller wrench



May 4, 1965 Filed Deo. l2, 1963 J. P. DRANGULA TRIFOIL CAM-AND-ROLLER WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIIIII INVENTOR. JSEPH P. DRANGULA Attorney 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. l2, 1965 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH P. DRANGULA E .fnd/6i ,9M/v

Aforney United States Patent Ohcey l ansias? Patented May 4, 1965 3,l8i,397 TRIFIL CAM-AND-ROLLER WRENCH Joseph P. Drangula, Hamilton, NJ., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Ilersey Filed Dec. i2, 1963, Ser. No. 330,096 3 Claims. (Ci. 8i-l2i) The present invention relates generally to wrenches and, more particularly, has .as its primary object the provision of an improved cam-and-roller type wrench having a latching element incorporated therein which functions to yieldingly maintain the wrench in open, neutral position intermediate two extreme closed positions.

As a corollary to the above object, it is another object of my invention to provide an improved cam-and-roller type wrench having a latching element incorporated therein which is operable to close the wrench into gripping engagement on a round workpiece for rotation of the workpiece in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specication and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a plan view;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View taken along the line lll-III of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view oi the head of the wrench of the invention taken along the line IV-IV or FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged partial elevational view of the wrench of the invention showing the head thereof in one closed position;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FiGURE 5 but shot-ving the head in an alternate closed position.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic illustration in plan of a particular operation for which the wrench of the invention is especially suited; and

FGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 showing the wrench of the invention in use to rotate a coupling to join two threaded wires.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 designates the elongated handle of the wrench of the invention which has a substantially C-shape block 4 rigidly aixed to one end. Three pairs of oppositel curved cam surfaces d are formed on the interior of the block 4 for cooperating with three cylindrical rollers 3, The oppositely-curved cam surfaces d of each pair are separated by a dwell 9.

A cage it) comprised of opposed C-shape plates l2 and 14 is mounted on the block 4 for pivotal movement therearound. The cage l@ is disposed with plate l2 adjacent one side of the block'd and plate 14 adjacent the opposite side thereof. The plates 12 and i4 are of a uniform diameter greater than the diameter of the block d and are secured by cap screws 16 to a plurality of spacer tubes 18 which extend between the plates across the periphery of the block 4.

The rollers 8 are provided with pin ends 20 which are journaled in elongated holes 22 in the plates 12 and 14. When the wrench is in normal open position, the slotted openings 23 of the block 4 and the plates 12 and id coincide extending parallel with a continuation of the axial center line of the handle 2; and the rollers 8 are disposed in the dwell-s 9 between the opposed curved cam surfaces 6. in order to close the wrench to engage a round article or workpiece, the cage is pivoted in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction relative to the block d. Such pivoting of the cage relative to the block causes the rollers to engage one of the cam surfaces of each of the three pairs so that the rollers are thrust radially inwardly to engage and grip the surface of the workpiece. FIGURE 4 shows the wrench in open position with the rollers diS- posed at the dwells 9 between the pairs of cam surfaces 6. FlGURE 5 illustrates the wrench in closed position after the cage has been pivoted in clockwise direction rela* tive to the block d, and FIGURE 6 illustrates the wrench in closed position after the cage has been pivoted in counterclockwise direction. The direction in which the cage is pivoted is governed by the direction in which it is desired to rotate the workpiece.

A latch means, designated generally by reference numeral 24, is provide for pivoting the cage relative to the block. The latch means 24 includes an elongated tubular housing 26 pivoted, at a point intermediate its center and one end, to the handle 2 by means of a cap screw 23. The housing 2d is yieldingly held in normal position parallel with the axis of the handle 2 by means of a spring-loaded ball detent 30, as best shown in FIGURE 3. The spring-loaded ball detent 39 engages a cavity 32 formed in the tubular housing 26 adjacent the end thereof remote from the block 4. A pin 3d is slidably tted in the end 36 of the housing 26 remote from the cavity 32. A helical tension spring 38 is disposed within the housing 26 with one end bearing against the inner end of the pin 34 to urge it outwardly, and its other end bearing against a shoulder di) within the housing. The projecting end of the pin 34 is pivotally connected to plate l2 of the cage l@ by means of a rivet 42. An arcuate slot 4d is provided in the periphery of the plate l2 for accommodating the end of the pin 34. Movement of the housing in either direction away from the axial center line of the handle 2 will cause the cage lill to pivot in an arc from the closed center position as shown in FlGURES 5 and 6. Thus, the wrench can be closed to grip a worlrpiece Iby a finger of the operators hand which is gripping the handle 2.

Although not restricted thereto, the wrench of the invention is particularly suitable for applying a galvanized coupling C to connect a pair of bridge wires without marring or gouging the galvanized coating of the coupling. With reference to FEGURES 7 and 8, the operation of applying a coupling consists of placing two wires A and B having opposed threaded ends in two opposed and aligned movable vises, illustrated diagrammatically and designated by reference character V, so that the extremities of the wires are aligned and spaced apart from each other a suicient distance to allow positioning of the coupling C therebetween, as shown in FIGURE 7. One end of the coupling is tapped and threaded to receive the right-hand threads on the end of the wire A, and the opposite end of the coupling is tapped and threaded to receive the left-hand threads of wire B. After the coupling C has been placed between the ends of the wires, the vises are moved toward each other until the threaded end portions of the wires make contact with the opposed threaded openings of the coupling. A slight pressure is then applied by moving the vises toward each other for the purpose of holding the wire ends and coupling in contact with each other until the operator can applying the wrench of the invention to the coupling. The wrench is applied by slipping the aligned slotted openings 23 of the block and cage over that portion of one of the wires between the vises and the coupling, as shown in broken lines in FlGURE 8, and then moving the wrench along the wire to the coupling so as to receive the coupling within the block 4 centrally of the rollers as shown in full lines in FIGURE 8. To grip the coupling for clockwise threading onto the wire ends, as shown in FIGURE 6, it is only necessary to move the latch housing 26 upwardly from its neutral center position. To reverse the wrench, the latch housing Z6 is moved downwardly from its neutral position. Thus, it can be clearly seen that the wrench can be effectively gripped and manipulated with one hand to grip a coupling or other cylindrical workpiece for rotation in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction. y

While one embodiment yof my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim: Y Y

1. A cam-and-roller wrench comprising a cage having rollers journaled therein, a block rotatable in said cage, cam surfaces in said block engageable with said rollers to move said rollers inwardly to grip a workpiece, a handle Xed to said block, and .a spring-urged pressure pin pivoted on the handle and engaging said cage effective to yieldingly hold the cage in a position intermediate two positions of engagement on either side of said intermediate position.

2. In acam-and-roller wrench including a cage having rollers journaled therein and a block rotatable in the cage having cam surfaces engageable with the rollers to move said rollers inwardly to grip a workpiece, and a handle xed to said block, the combination therewith of a spring-urged pressure pin pivoted on the handle and engaging said cage eiective to yieldingly hold the cage in a position intermediate two positions of engagement on either side of said intermediae position, and means for releasably holding said pressure pin in said intermediate position whereby said cage is held in `said intermediate position.

3. The combination as dened by claim 2 in which said releasably holding means'is a spring-urged ball detent mounted in said handle and engageable with said pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,450,641 4/ 23 Ograbisz.

2,063,344 12/ 36 Schneider.

2,105,788 l/38 Hess.

2,408,335 9/48 Oliver et al.

2,933,961 4/60 Adams 81-57 X WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. A CAM-AND-ROLLER WRENCH COMPRISING A CAGE HAVING ROLLERS JOURNALED THEREIN, A BLOCK ROTATABLE IN SAID CAGE, CAM SURFACES IN SAID BLOCK ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ROLLERS TO MOVE SAID ROLLERS INWARDLY TO GRIP A WORKPIECE, A HANDLE FIXED TO SAID BLOCK, AND A SPRING-URGED PRESSURE PIN 